Raven Johnson (born March 4, 2003) is an American college basketball player for the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Raven Johnson
Johnson with South Carolina in 2023
No. 25 – South Carolina Gamecocks
PositionGuard
LeagueSoutheastern Conference
Personal information
Born (2003-03-04) March 4, 2003 (age 21)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Career information
High schoolWestlake (Atlanta, Georgia)
CollegeSouth Carolina (2021–present)
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA AmeriCup
Silver medal – second place 2023 Mexico Team

High school career

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Johnson played basketball for Westlake High School in Atlanta. She played alongside Ta'Niya Latson and helped her team win four straight state titles. Johnson was twice named Miss Georgia Basketball by the Atlanta Tipoff Club and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution All-Classification Player of the Year. As a senior, she received Naismith Prep Player of the Year and Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year honors and was a McDonald's All-American selection.[2][3][4]

Recruiting

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Johnson was rated a five-star recruit, the number two player and the top point guard in the 2021 class by ESPN.[5] On June 25, 2020, she committed to play college basketball for South Carolina.[6]

College career

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Johnson suffered a season-ending left knee injury in her second career game with South Carolina.[7] Despite her absence, her team won the national championship.[8] In her redshirt freshman season, Johnson became a key reserve for the Gamecocks.[9] On February 5, 2023, she recorded a season-high 14 points and seven assists in an 81–77 win against UConn.[10] Johnson scored 13 points in a 77–73 loss to Iowa at the Final Four of the 2023 NCAA tournament.[11] As a freshman, she averaged 4.2 points, 3.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game, earning Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman honors.[12]

National team career

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Johnson was named to the United States national team for the 2023 FIBA Women's AmeriCup in Mexico.[12] She averaged 5.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, helping her team win the silver medal.[13]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game  FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold  Career best ° League leader

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2021–22 South Carolina Did not play due to injury
2022–23 South Carolina 36 3 18.7 43.8 24.1 65.4 2.6 3.4 1.1 0.4 1.4 4.2
2023–24 South Carolina 37 35 27.9 44.3 35.0 61.2 5.2 4.8 2.1 0.2 1.6 8.1
Career 75 38 22.9 41.4 30.4 62.7 3.8 4.0 1.6 0.3 1.5 6.0
Statistics retrieved from Sports-Reference.[14]

Personal life

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In 2023 and 2024, Johnson attended Kelsey Plum's Dawg Class, an Under Armour-sponsored camp to help top women college athletes transition from collegiate to professional basketball.[15][16]

References

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  1. ^ https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/raven-johnson-iverson-classic-college-basketball-south-carolina-20210511.html
  2. ^ Saye, Chip (April 2, 2021). "Girls basketball player of year: Westlake's Raven Johnson". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  3. ^ "Westlake High School student-athlete named Gatorade Georgia Girls Basketball Player of the Year" (PDF). Gatorade. May 27, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  4. ^ "South Carolina Gamecocks signee Raven Johnson wins Naismith High School Trophy". ESPN. March 11, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  5. ^ "Raven Johnson 2021 High School Girls' Basketball Profile". ESPN. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  6. ^ Hadley, Greg (June 26, 2020). "Five-star Atlanta point guard commits to Dawn Staley, Gamecocks' loaded 2021 class". The State. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  7. ^ Voepel, Mechelle (November 16, 2021). "South Carolina women's basketball loses frosh Raven Johnson for season". ESPN. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  8. ^ Wellbaum, Chris (June 9, 2022). "South Carolina women's basketball: Player-by-player look at next season". Gamecock Central. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  9. ^ Cloninger, David (January 27, 2023). "Gamecocks' Raven Johnson soars into starring role after lost season". The Post and Courier. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  10. ^ Cloninger, David (February 6, 2023). "No. 1 Gamecocks' Raven Johnson could force lineup change after UConn showing". The Post and Courier. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  11. ^ Hall, Cora (April 1, 2023). "South Carolina's Final Four exit felt like 'end of an era' but Raven Johnson showed promise of future". The Greenville News. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Flowers, Marcus (May 15, 2023). "South Carolina's Raven Johnson selected for U.S.A. AmeriCup team". WIS. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  13. ^ Wellbaum, Chris (July 23, 2023). "South Carolina women's basketball: Chloe Kitts wins gold medal". On3. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  14. ^ "Gabbie Marshall College Stats". Sports-Reference. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  15. ^ Sinatra, Alex (April 18, 2024). "WNBA draft pick Nika Mühl headlines 2024 Kelsey Plum Dawg Class". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  16. ^ "(Dawg) Class Is Back in Session". Under Armour. April 19, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
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